Animation is a specific imaging technique that is increasingly applied within a wide range of audiovisual forms of expression, such as cartoons, music videos, special effects for movies, motion graphics on TV, visual art, performances, games, web design and mobile telephone applications.

Animation is much deeper embedded in the fabric of society than most of us are aware of; we all get into contact with it in our daily lives. Many people are potentially interested in animation, but they find it hard to place this form of visual art in a context. Animation combines elements of many forms of art: painting, sculpture, photography, film, music, etc. Few artists have to be as versatile as an animation director. The label 'animation film' covers a wide variety of productions ranging from vulnerable artistic films to commercial box office hits. The medium lends itself to the most diverging subjects and appeals to both younger and older audiences, regardless of sex, educational level or cultural background.

The Holland Animation Film Festival provides an (inter)national platform for this special art form. The festival, which was founded in 1985, takes place over a period of five days at several locations in the city of Utrecht, the Netherlands. The festival started as a biennial festival and became a yearly event in 2009 so it can offer an even more up-to-date programme and really monitor developments as they unfold. In 2012 the festival dates move from the beginning of November to the end of March to fit even better in the international festival calendar.

The festival highlights the latest developments and new talent, shows theme programmes and retrospectives, and organizes activities like talk shows, master classes and lectures. Main programme sections are The Cutting Edge and the competitions. The Cutting Edge presents the often exciting and pioneering interplay between film, fine art, games and the internet. HAFF organizes international competitions for animated shorts, feature films, applied animation (animation films produced in commission) and animation for internet. HAFF organises also a European competition for student films and there’s an audience award for the best Dutch animation. Attendance figures confirm that screening animation in competition is an attractive format. The competition programmes are screened in the largest theatres, often drawing a capacity crowd.